12/01/2015 BurntheConstitution|Jacobin

BurntheConstitution
Thepitfallsofconstitutionalism.

bySethAckerman

heworldwiderevolutionaryturmoiloftheyearsjustafter

T
WorldWarIwitnessedthesinglebiggestleapinlaborslong
forwardmarch.

Atleast,itdidinmostplaces.

ButwhilegeneralstrikeswerepanickingEuropeanelitesintomakingsweeping
concessionstotheirworkingclasses,hereinAmericatheWilsonAdministration
wasswiftlyreprivatizingtheeconomyanddismantlingtheprogressivewartime
laborcodespromptingFelixFrankfurtertorenderadespairingjudgment:the
UnitedStates,hewrote,appearedtobethemostreactionarycountryinthe
world.WhentheunimpededruleoftheplutocratswasconfirmedbyCalvin
Coolidgeselectionsixyearslater,WilliamHowardTaftconcludedwith
satisfactionthatFrankfurterhadbeenright:Thiscountryisnocountryfor
radicalism.Ithinkitisreallythemostconservativecountryintheworld.But
whywasthatso?Thereweremanytheories.ThepatricianeditorsoftheNew
YorkTimeshadgiventhismattersomethought,andonConstitutionDay,1921,
theyprovidedoneplausibleexplanation:Ifitistrue,asthereismuchevidence
toprove,thatAmericansareshowingthemselvesthemostconservativenationin

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aturbulentworld,thelargestcauseofitliesinourFederalConstitution.The
Constitution,theeditorsexplained,makestheAmericanpeoplesecureintheir
individualrightsascitizenswhentheseareimperiledbypassinggustsof
sentiment.

Thesedubiousgustsofsentiment,inthelingoofAmericanconstitutionspeak,
arepreciselywhatothersocietiescallthedemocraticwill.Itstandstoreason
thatadocumentdraftedbyacoterieofgildedgentry,openlycontemptuousof
democracyandpanickedbywhattheysawasthemobruleofthe1780s,
wouldseektoconstrictpopularsovereigntytothepointofstrangulation.Thus,
brilliantlyandsubtly,thesystemtheybuiltrendereditvirtuallyimpossiblefor
theelectoratetoobtainaconcertedchangeinnationalpolicybyacollectiveact
ofpoliticalwill.TheSenateisanundemocraticmonstrosityinwhich84percent
ofthepopulationcanbeoutvotedbythe16percentlivinginthesmalleststates.
Thepassageoflegislationrequiresthesimultaneousassentofthreeseparate
entitiesthepresidency,House,andSenatethatvotersarepurposelydenied
theopportunitytochooseatonetime,withtwothirdsoftheSenatemembership
leftinplaceaftereachelection.Theillogicalelectoralcollegegearsthewhole
combatofpresidentialelectionsaroundafew,almostrandomlydetermined,
swingstatesthathappentocontainevenlybalancednumbersofDemocratsand
Republicans.Andtheentiresystemisfrozeninamberbyanamendmentprocess
ofalmostcomicalcomplexity.WhereasFrancecanchangeitsconstitution
anytimewithathreefifthsvoteofitsCongressandBritaincouldrecently
mandateareferendumoninstantrunoffvotingbyasimpleparliamentary
majority,anamendmenttotheU.S.Constitutionrequirestheconsentofnoless
thanthirtyninedifferentlegislaturescomprisingroughlyseventyeight
separatelyelectedchambers.

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TherewasabriefmomentinU.S.historywhenthesetruthswereacknowledged
bytheLeft.DuringtheProgressiveEra,theSocialistPartybrandedthe
Constitutionamenacetodemocraticgovernmentandanumberofprogressive
intellectuals,includingCharlesA.Beard,VernonL.Parrington,CarlBecker,
andJ.AllenSmith,lucidlyrecognizedthedocumentsreactionaryconstraints
andsometimescalledfortheiroverthrow.BeardestablishedaCommitteeonthe
FederalConstitutionwhichadvocatedsubordinatingtheConstitutiontopopular
control,declaringthatthepeopleoftheUnitedStateshavenotcontrolover
theirfundamentallawatthepresenttime,saveinaminordegree.The
consequenceis,ourinstitutionsdonotreflectthepopularwill,butinreality
otherforcesoverwhichwehaveonlyameasureofcontrol.TheSixteenthand
SeventeenthAmendments,authorizingafederalincometaxanddirectelection
ofSenators,werethemostenduring(ifinadequate)fruitsofthisperiodof
ferment.

Butunfortunatelyitwasthecounterattackthatprovedfarmorelasting.

Duringthe1920sand1930s,ashistorianMichaelKammenhasdemonstrated,
constitutionalismassumedamorecentralroleinAmericanculturethanitever
hadbefore,thanksinlargeparttotheefflorescenceofintenselypartisan
organizationsthatpromotedpatrioticconstitutionalismasanantidotetotwo
dreadednemeses,governmentalcentralizationandsocialism.TheNational
AssociationforConstitutionalGovernment,theAmericanLegion,the
ConstitutionalLeague,theNationalSecurityLeague,theSentinelsofthe
Republic,allcametogethertopledgethemselvestoguardtheConstitutionand
wagewaronsocialism.AnationalConstitutionDaywasinstituted.Local
schoolboardswerepressedtofurtherglorifythesacredparchment.Allofthis,I
wouldargue,amountedtoAmericasversionoftheantidemocraticnationalist

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populismthatwasspreadinginEuropeinthesameyears.TodaysTeaParty,
withitsmaniaforconstitutionalism,isthedirectheirtothisvenerable
conservativetraditionthatembracestheFoundingFathersmasterworkasa
bulwarkagainstdemocraticadventurismhencetheCongressional
RepublicansritualConstitutionreading,andtheirnewrulerequiringthat
specificconstitutionalauthoritybecitedforeachbill.LikeActionFranaiseor
theantirepublicanpeasantleaguesofWeimarGermany,theTeaPartys
patrioticconstitutionalismoriginatedinthe1920sasaconservativereaction
againsttheworkingclassmovementsthathadsurgedforwardtoremakethestate
intothedemocraticinstrumentofpopularaspirations.

ItseasytomakefunoftheRightsbizarroConstitutionfetish,especiallyinits
currentGlennBeckifiedform.Beckslateguru,theBircherandMormon
extremistW.CleonSkousen,isnowthemainsourceoftheTeaPartiers
constitutionalwisdomhisbooks,onceoutofprintandgatheringdust,have
becomeposthumousbestsellersandrequiredreadingatTeaPartytraining
courses.Atruefanaticandweirdo,SkousenbelievedtheFoundingFatherswere
inspiredbytheexampleoftheancientAngloSaxons,whointurnwereinspired
bytheBiblicalIsraelites.Alladheredtothedivinelysanctionedprinciplesof
limitedgovernment,asystemunderwhichAmericamademoreprogressinits
firstcenturythantheworldhadmadeintheprevious5,000years(hencethetitle
ofSkousensmagnumopus,TheFiveThousandYearLeap).Butitallstarted
fallingapartatthestartofthetwentiethcentury,whenprogressivesand
socialistsattackedtheConstitutionandWoodrowWilsonembracedtheirSatanic
cause,takingthefirstfatefulstepsontheroadtotheserfdomweknowtoday:
minimumwages,aFederalReserve,nationalparks,Medicareall,Skousen
insists,areunconstitutional.

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Allofthisisnonsense,ofcourse.Butwhatisequallylamentableisthatthe
recentrise(or,rather,return)toprominenceofthisconstitutionalcrankeryhas
spawnedawholegenreofanxiousliberalcommentaryaimedatrescuingthe
documentshonorfromtheclutchesofuncouthreactionaries.Itisanarticleof
faithinthiscommentarythattheGlennBeckcrowdsimplymisunderstandthe
ConstitutionandtheintentionsoftheFounders.Theylaborundertheillusion
thatourfoundingtextenshrinesconservativeprinciples,wheninreality(the
claimgoes)itsanambiguousdocumentwhosemeaningiscontestedandalways
changingormaybeevenawarrantforceaselessprogressandchange.But
whateveritis,theConstitutionaccordingtotodaysliberalsisalways
misunderstoodandneveratfault,usuallytreatedwithafondifwisedup
reverenceandneverwiththedisapprovingrighteousnessofthemoreadvanced
progressives.InatakedownofTeaPartyconstitutionalism,DaliaLithwik
inSlatewritesthatthefactthattheConstitutionissufficientlyopenendedto
infuriateallAmericansalmostequallyispartofitsenduringgenius.Itisan
integrativeforcethecornerstoneofourcivilreligion,writesAndrew
RomanoinNewsweekbuttheTeaPartiersbelongtoadifferenttraditiona
traditionofdivisivefundamentalism.TheConstitutionisinkonparchment,
writesJillLeporeinarecentNewYorkerpiece(TheBattleOverthe
Constitution),itis4400words.Anditis,too,theaccretedsetofmeaningsthat
havebeenmadeofthosewords,theamendments,thefailedamendments,the
struggles,thedebatesthecourseofeventsovermorethantwocenturies.It
isnoteasy,butitiseveryones.Thatsoundsniceandawfullyinclusive,but
unfortunatelytheConstitutionismuchmorethanthat:itisacharterfor
plutocracy.

Itisameasureofourcurrentideologicalmorassthatliberals,intheirown
enlightenedandopenmindedway,stillmasochisticallyembraceathroneand

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altarorthodoxythatsubordinatesthepeopleswilltoavirtuallyunalterable
diktathandeddownbyanancientcouncilofaristocratic,semideifiedlawgivers.
Atthisverymoment,whenexpansionarymonetarypolicyanddebtrelieffor
homeownersaredemandedbytheLefttoaddresstheongoing,grindingsocial
crisis,itshouldnotbeforgottenthatarageforpapermoneyandanabolition
ofdebtswerepreciselythesortsofwickedproject[s]thatJamesMadison,
writinginFederalistNo.10,specificallyhopedhisConstitutionwouldruleout.

YouwouldalmostthinkMadisonhadbeenlisteningtoGlennBeck.

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